1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium drive device using a recording medium such as an optical disc (for example, CD-R/RW, DVD−R/-RW/RAM/+R/+RW) and the like on which a large amount of information can be recorded in various computer systems, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in a personal computer, for processing a large amount of information, a recording medium drive device must be provided to drive an optical disc serving as a recording medium on which the large amount of information is to be recorded. The recording medium drive device is typically installed into the main body of a personal computer, or is provided outside the personal computer having connected with a cable.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating an outer appearance of a notebook type personal computer being provided with a recording medium drive device. Such a disc type recording medium drive device (hereinafter, referred to as “disc drive device”) 101 is usually installed in the main body of a personal computer. In the disc drive device, by a switching action or a command from a main board of the personal computer, a bezel 103 of a disc tray 102 is popped out, and a user of the personal computer can draw out the disc tray 102 and load an optical disc D on the disc tray 102.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating an outer appearance of such a conventional disc drive device 101, and FIG. 19 is a bottom view illustrating a construction of the disc tray 12 in the disc drive device 101. The disc tray 102 has a plate-like configuration for accommodating the optical disc D. At a center of the disc tray 102, a turntable 105 is located. The turntable 105 is fixed to a drive shaft of a spindle motor 104 which is placed directly below the turntable 105. The turntable 105 has a clamp head 106 for clamping the optical disc D in a center opening of the optical disc D and for transferring rotational force of the spindle motor 104 to the optical disc D.
The reference numeral 107 indicates a head unit. The entire head unit 107 can be reciprocated in a diametric direction of the disc tray 102 by means of a drive mechanism 108 which is constructed on a lower surface of the disc tray 102. The head unit 107 has a beam lens 107a for radiating laser beam onto the optical disc D. The bezel 103 is secured to a front end of the disc tray 102 to render a neat exterior. A push button 109 for releasing a loading state of the disc tray 102 and an indicator window 110 are provided to the bezel 103. Also, a through-hole 103a is defined in the bezel 103 such that an emergency pin P can be inserted into the through-hole 103a to compulsively release a locked state of the disc tray 102.
The disc tray 102 thus constructed is supported by guide rails 111 in a state in which its both sides are fitted into the guide rails 111, respectively. The guide rails 111 are slidably supported by support rails which are fixed to a chassis case 112. By this construction, the disc tray 102 can be extended out of and retracted into the chassis case 112 to load and unload the optical disc D.
The disc drive device 101 is provided with an ejecting and locking mechanism 113. When the disc tray 102 is loaded with the optical disc D and stopped at a predetermined position in the chassis case 112, the ejecting and locking mechanism 113 functions to maintain this state, that is, lock the disc tray 102. The ejecting and locking mechanism 113 further functions to release the locked state of the disc tray 102 to thereby eject the disc tray 102. The disc tray 102 is locked by the ejecting and locking mechanism 113 in a manner such that a lock lever 114 and a lock pin 115 secured to the chassis case 112 are engaged with each other. In a normal operating state, the release of this locked state, that is, the ejection of the disc tray 102 is caused by driving a self-supporting type solenoid 116 (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-97076
In the case that the disc drive device 101 constructed as mentioned above is installed in the main body of the personal computer, in order to unload the disc tray 102, as described above, the ejecting and locking mechanism 113 is operated by the command from the main board of the personal computer or through the manipulation of the push button 109 by the user so that the release of the locked state, that is, the ejection of the disc tray 102 is carried out.
However, as a rare occurrence of failure in the personal computer, there may be a case in which the personal computer operates a system without recognizing the optical disc upon starting the personal computer while the optical disc still mounted on the disc drive device. In this state, since the disc tray cannot be unloaded even when a user presses the push button, it is impossible to take out the optical disc loaded on the disc tray. This situation may also occur from the breakdown of a mechanical system installed on the disc tray. Therefore, to deal with such an emergency situation, conventional measures are provided.
Such measures are devised with the aim of compulsively releasing the locked state of the disc tray from the outside. As shown in FIG. 19, by inserting the emergency pin P into the through-hole 103a defined in the bezel 103, the lock lever 114 can be rotated and disengaged from the lock pin 115.
This function of dealing with such an abnormal state by the compulsive manipulation from the outside must be necessarily provided to the disc drive device. In carrying out the compulsive manipulation, when the optical disc is in a reading mode in which information recorded on the optical disc is reproduced, the possibility of damaging the recorded information is very low. However, when the optical disc is in a writing mode in which information is being recorded on the optical disc, an incomplete recording of information or damage of already recorded information may be caused.
In this regard, because the ejecting and locking mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 is operated by a simple manipulation of the emergency pin, the probability of having an incomplete recording of information or damage of already recorded information is substantial. For example, since an unskilled or unaccustomed person may inadvertently operate the ejecting and locking mechanism while the optical disc is in the writing mode, it is necessary to also take appropriate measures for avoiding this undesirable situation.